An open letter to my new parrot.

Wow, this must be a scary transition, huh? Everything you have ever known has totally shifted; baby or adult, this is a new chapter in your life, so I suspect you must be feeling really uneasy. You probably miss your person, no matter how poorly that person treated you–you probably don’t know if we’ll provide for your needs, if you’ll ever taste your favorite foods again, or if we’re even nice.

So here are a few promises to you:

I solemnly swear to respect your body language so that you’ll trust me when it’s really important; if you back away, I’ll let you leave. If you tell me to back off with that big beak, I will. I want to earn your trust so you don’t feel the need to bite to communicate.

You will have tasty, fresh food every day. Fruits, veggies, noodles and beans–whatever is bird friendly is yours. Food is one of my favorite parts of life; where is the fun in eating nothing but dried pellets every day? If I’m eating something that you can taste, I promise to offer you some, too.

I won’t show my anger when you destroy some part of my furniture. I know you don’t mean to–it’s my responsibility to make sure you have plenty of interesting things to chew on so that you have a better outlet. I’m prepared–I know there will be some splinters. It’s okay. You’re worth it.

I will not mind the mess you make; my husband puts up with me (and I’m messier than you, dear parrot!), so I’ll bite the bullet and clean up after you, too, as long as you keep me company while I do so. =)

I will not react (and I will forgive you) when that inevitable bite happens. I’ll try my hardest not to provoke it, but I know that it’s coming–it’ll be okay. No one ever died from a bird bite, although there is apparently now a medical code for someone who has been bitten by a macaw parrot–not an amazon, but a macaw. Go figure.

These are just a few preliminary promises; here is to many happy years together!